Danica Patrick was the main focus of news at Daytona International Speedway after becoming the first woman to ever win the pole at the event and she also was the prime topic afterwards, as she became the first woman to ever lead laps at the event.
Patrick spoke to ESPN.com on Friday about her accomplishments while preparing for this Sunday's Sprint Cup event in Phoenix. Patrick became the 13th driver to lead laps in both the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500.
"Of all the statistical stuff, I felt that was the biggest one of the weekend," Patrick said Friday at Phoenix International Raceway, site of this week's NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races. "While I'm honored to be the first woman to do something, to fall into a historical stat that is a small group of other drivers, not about male or female, that's something I aspire to as a driver."
Patrick won the pole as the fastest driver at Daytona and then started off in the front of the pack, where she remained for most of the race before finishing in eighth. Patrick was as high as third on the final laps and she was leading the race for five laps, becoming the first woman to do so. She fell back to eighth after the drivers packed up at the end of the race and finished in the top 10 in her fulltime Sprint Cup debut.
"I was frustrated I didn't have a better plan," Patrick said. "I didn't have grasp of how to shoot for a better finish. But it really helped teach me what happens at the end of [restrictor-plate] races. [Dale Earnhardt] Junior [who finished second] is really good at those races, knowing how to set things up."
Patrick spoke about the accomplishment compared to when she raced in the 2005 Indy 500 as a rookie, where she also led laps and finished in fourth place.
"I'm a little more mature now," Patrick said. "In 2005, it was a more ongoing excitement level. But I kind of understand the ebb and flow of racing better now. These things come and go. Last weekend was what it was, but we're moving on. This is when the real season starts."
Patrick said she received a lot of praise from other drivers after her performance at Daytona, including from Tony Stewart, her team owner, and Jimmie Johnson, who won the event for the second time in his career.
"Tony said, 'You had more to lose in your position than you had to gain,'" Patrick said. "Jimmie told me I did a nice job. He said in both his wins he didn't have a plan. You just have to take it on the fly. But to have those guys say that, on some level, [that] I make good decisions at the end was really nice."
Patrick has also received attention on the circuit this season for her relationship with fellow driver and Sprint Cup rookie Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who she raced against on the Nationwide circuit.
